Results for Blancpain

MB&F;’s M.A.D.3 Honours Vincent Calabrese

For it’s third M.A.D. Edition, MB&F; has reimagined Vincent Calabrese’s signature jumping hours complication. While still allocated via raffle, the M.A.D.3 Vincent Calabrese represents a significant departure for MB&F;’s entry level sub-brand, being the first to fully conceal the winding rotor and the first to be based on a historical design from a notable watchmaker. Initial thoughts Vincent Calabrese is a pioneering independent watchmaker who co-founded the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) alongside Svend Andersen in 1985. Mr Calabrese is perhaps most well known for developing highly original movements for other brands including the Corum Golden Bridge and the first-ever flying tourbillon wristwatch movement for Blancpain in 1989. But Mr Calabrese also produced watches under his own name, including the Baladin that served as the inspiration for M.A.D.3. Maximilian Büsser and Mr Calabrese have been friends for years and discussed collaborating on a watch project many times, but the M.A.D.3 is their first joint effort. The M.A.D.3 is affordable as such things go, at CHF2,900. That’s roughly equivalent to where original Baladins trade on the secondary market, depending on the specifics. But the M.A.D.3 is a worthy remake in a more contemporary size and should prove more reliable and easier to service when the time comes. For better or worse, the solid value proposition almost dictates a mechanism to manage demand, so buying a M.A.D.3 isn’t a...

Blancpain Introduces the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition

You know, I actually wasn’t going to write about this watch. An $18,000 vintage inspired dive watch from a brand that doesn’t hold a ton of personal relevance to me was just not super high on my list of priorities as Geneva Watch Days prep is now in full swing (this time next week, I will be surviving on CHF 10 Coke Zeros). But, over the weekend the collective watch internet kind of lost its mind over the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition, so I shifted my to-do list around a bit and, well, here we are.  Of course, there have been a lot of memes and jokes about this watch sharing a certain similarity to the Seiko 62MAS and the many, many reinterpretations and reissues of that watch over the years. I’m frankly less interested in those aesthetic similarities than I am in the very conceit of this watch, what it illuminates about Blancpain, and the way it fits into the neverending conversation around price sensitivity that we’ve been having for months as we see MSRPs shoot higher and higher. But what I’ll say about the appearance of the Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition is simply that, at this point, 70 years on from the advent of this type of watch, I don’t think any brand really owns the aesthetic identity of something so generic. Lots and lots of watches from all kinds of brands look like this, just like lots and lots of watches look like a Speedmaster, or a Calatrava. The design tropes of these wat...

Last Week In Watches: Blancpain Returns to 1968, Norqain Goes Titanium, Czapek Turns Aqua Blue and more

Man Who Called $3,500 Seiko a “Cash Grab” Pre-Orders $18,300 Blancpain, Cites “Heritage”

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Sunday Morning Showdown: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Vs. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38

Good morning, and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. Blancpain surprised us this week with a vintage reissue of its 1968 Bathyscaphe. The 37.4mm case of the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary features a sunburst dial and faux patina, while there’s a ceramic bezel insert and a modern automatic movement inside. Of course, Blancpain […] Visit Sunday Morning Showdown: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Vs. Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique 38 to read the full article.

Blancpain celebrates 70 years of diving with a new Bathyscaphe

Blancpain celebrates 70 years of dive watch heritage with the Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition, a recreation of the classic 1968 version.

Blancpain Faithfully Revisits 1968 Bathyscaphe

Blancpain is marking the 70th anniversary of its lesser-known dive watch with the 1960s-inspired Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe. With a faithful 37.4 mm steel case and high-end movement, the Bathyscaphe will likely be welcomed by collectors who have been waiting for a more compact Fifty Fathoms. Initial thoughts Blancpain has an unusually rich history of producing dive watches — the Fifty Fathoms dates to 1953 and introduced the now-ubiquitous rotating dive bezel at roughly the same time as the Rolex Submariner. Blancpain’s early divers were commercial products aimed at military customers — then the only sizable market for such watches. That changed in 1956, when growing consumer interest in diving led to the release of the Bathyscaphe. This historic name was reborn in 2013, but the contemporary interpretation of the line was a significant aesthetic departure from the look of the original 1950s and 1960s models. Somewhat confusingly, Blancpain is marking the 70th anniversary of the Bathyscaphe with an homage to a 1968 model. Timeline aside, the anniversary edition features a period-correct 37.4 mm case and beige Super-LumiNova to capture the aged look of surviving originals. The arrow-tipped running seconds hand is another charming detail that reproduces the original look to good effect. During the 1950s and 1960s, Blancpain waffled between serif and sans-serif wordmarks, and the brand has opted for the latter for the anniversary edition. To my eye it strikes just the rig...

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Marks 70 Years with 37mm Vintage Re-Edition

Marking the major milestone, the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Edition delivers a period-accurate case size with modern specs.

Blancpain Returns the Bathyscaphe to 1968 for its 70th Anniversary

Blancpain turns back the clock with its new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition

Blancpain revives a 1968 Bathyscaphe for its 70th anniversary, with a 37.4mm case, vintage-inspired details and a 100-hour movement.

Introducing: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary Limited Edition

What We Know The 1950s were big years for Blancpain—first in 1953 with the introduction of the Fifty Fathoms, then a few short years later in 1956, when the Bathyscaphe arrived as a "civilian counterpart" as diving gained popularity. Revived in 2013, it's remained a core part of the modern Fifty Fathoms lineup ever since. We're not strangers to the Bathyscaphe here at Hodinkee, either—we teamed up with Blancpain on our own limited edition back in 2019. Today, to mark the Bathyscaphe's 70th anniversary, Blancpain is releasing a 300-piece limited edition that takes inspiration from the 1968 reference and updates it in all the right ways. The homage to the '68 piece is evident at a quick glance; the first thing I noticed was the vintage Blancpain logo, which sets the tone for what the brand is trying to do here. The sunburst meteor grey dial is lifted straight from the 1968 piece as well, as are the baton hands and indexes in 18k white gold, both filled with a vintage-colored Super-LumiNova that gives the lume a warmer, aged look straight out of the box. The steel bezel extends into a ring at the base of the box crystal—another detail pulled directly from the '68 watch—and its ceramic insert with lacquered numerals swaps out the original's black hesalite. That same fidelity carries through to the case. At 37.4mm in stainless steel, it's sized to match the 1968 piece on which it draws inspiration, rather than the smaller 35mm case Blancpain used on the original 1956 Ba...

A Nice Vintage-Inspired Surprise: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary

Over the past few years, we have seen great changes within the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms lineup. The brand celebrated the 70th anniversary of its iconic diver in multiple “acts.” On top of that, Blancpain created a full collection of Fifty Fathoms models in different sizes, offering something for everyone and addressing an issue many enthusiasts […] Visit A Nice Vintage-Inspired Surprise: The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary to read the full article.

First Look - Blancpain Goes Vintage with the new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary

While the fact that the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms was one of the earliest dive watches on the market is now well-known, this professional, mostly military-issued model wasn’t the only one produced by the brand. There is another watch in the collection that was created back in 1956, as the civilian counterpart to the Fifty Fathoms […]

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th anniversary: a proper 1968 re-edition

37.4mm steel, box sapphire, meteor-grey sunburst dial, cal. 1150 with 100-hour reserve. Blancpain marks 70 years of the civilian diver with a faithful re-edition of the 1968 Bathyscaphe. 300 pieces, €14,850.

Bring a Loupe: A Wittnauer 235T, A Cleto Munari "Sotsy," A Blancpain Technisub, And An Eberhard Contograf

You hanging in there, Baller? It feels like it's been a hard bit, or at least it is with the folks I check in with. I hope that, despite whatever's frustrating you and causing grief—from stubbed toes to wildfires and their attendant smoke to your team not making enough moves at the trade deadline—you're getting by. And congrats, obviously, to all the Sixers fans. Strays Photo courtesy of Huntington Company. Perhaps, like me, you were unaware that in 1967 Bulova made an Accutron Astronaut in 18k gold, and if that sounds like fun, Goodwill's got one that's on an 18k JP Champion bracelet to boot. The good folks at Huntington Company have a bit of a left of the dial watch this week, this Sarcar triple date with moonphase, and a fun game to play is to imagine what it'd be priced at with a different name on the dial. If you're bored by watches that are too quiet, or you're interested in truly unhinged complications, here's a Boegli which features a music box that plays a bit of Mozart's "The Magic Flute." For those who missed their shot on the Louis Erard x Kudoke Regulator from a few years ago, here's a very very nice blue one, and if you'd prefer a different blue watch, this Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust is almost certainly not from 2005, as the listing says (it's got a tritium dial, for one, plus the reference 17000 ceased production in 2001), but it certainly looks in great shape. Finally, here's a phenomenally pretty gold Audemars Piguet Day Date Moonphase (almost certain...

Hands on: Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate - now in 38mm!

The Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate is now available in 38mm. We got a quick look and here is our impressions on the salmon dial variant.

Hands-on - The Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech Date, a Truly Purposeful Three-Hour Dive Watch

Dive watches are, by nature, rather conservative instruments. Since the 1950s, the basics have barely changed: a robust water-resistant case, luminous hands and markers, and a rotating bezel, often undirectional, graduated over 60 minutes. Blancpain played a big part in setting up these design codes with the Fifty Fathoms during the 1950s. Seventy years later, […]

How a $2 Million Dollar Watch Is Made

Filmed in Switzerland, explore the seven-figure masterpiece featuring a Grande Double Sonnerie composed by a rock legend. This is a rare opportunity to experience the extraordinary craftsmanship behind the mechanical marvel with more than 1,000 components and twenty one patents. After eight years of development and limited to just two units per year requiring hundreds of hours of intricate handwork by two specialist watchmakers, discover every detail that goes into making Blancpain's most complicated watch ever.More

Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm: Smaller Case, Softer Dials, Better Proportions

Blancpain shrinks its ultra-thin dress watch to 38mm and debuts a first-ever sunburst salmon dial for the Villeret line

Blancpain Villeret Collection Adds New 38mm Ultraplates and Gem-Set Moon-Phases

Expanded elegant options, including the series' first sunburst salmon dial. More

Introducing - New, Softer Colour Schemes for the Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm

Alongside the sporty Fifty Fathoms, Bathyscaphe or Air Command collections, the Villeret range, named after the village in the Vallée de Joux, where Jehan-Jacques Blancpain set up his workshop on the top floor of his house in 1735, is the epitome of classic. Ranging from time-only to high complications, the entry-level model to the Villeret […]

Blancpain expands the Villeret collection

The Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate is now available in 38mm - here is why this is important

The new Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate 38mm opens the door to a more compact option and a first-ever sunburst salmon dial for the line.

Introducing: The Blancpain Villeret Ultraplate (Now In 38mm)

What We Know Today, Blancpain has downsized its ultra-thin Villeret Ultraplate dress watch, with new options in 38mm for greater wearability. The previous 40mm options of the 'Golden Hour' series, which I covered last October, remain, but the 38mm options are going to be much more appealing all around as proper dress watches. The case still remains incredibly thin, especially for a self-winding watch, at 8.35mm, but the 38mm downsizing now offers a short 43.35mm lug-to-lug measurement for small wrists and those who prefer the more traditional proportion of how a dress watch should look on the wrist. Here, four options are presented within these new measurements: three with stainless steel cases, and one in 18K red gold. The dial design continues the visual update introduced last October in the Villeret series, with simplified Roman numerals, the applied "JB" logo at 12 o'clock (standing for Jehan-Jacques Blancpain, who the brand credits as the founder), slim but still lumed leaf hands, and a skeletonized rotor. In stainless steel, there are three dial colors available. Salmon is a first for the Villeret collection, with a copper-hued dial paired with anthracite-coated 18K gold numerals. My favorite of the lineup, the Villeret Ultraplate featuring a warm champagne-hued dial with 18K yellow gold numerals set within a steel case with a green nubuck strap, will be offered as a boutique exclusive. More classic pairings of white gold numerals in a steel case and red gold numeral...

Introducing: Blancpain’s New 47mm Fifty Fathoms Tech - Its Fourth High-End Dive Instrument

In a world of shrinking watches, a 47mm timepiece stands out. You could call a watch of this size countercultural, but for the new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech, that’s incorrect. The new Fifty Fathoms Tech is a new version of the 2023 Tech Gombessa, and it’s a proper dive instrument. This aquatic monster is all […] Visit Introducing: Blancpain’s New 47mm Fifty Fathoms Tech — Its Fourth High-End Dive Instrument to read the full article.

New: Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech

Blancpain releases the new Fifty Fathoms Tech (Ref. 5019A 12B30 94A), featuring the world-first 3-hour bezel complication now in a non-limited production model. It adds a date function and new tool-free interchangeable strap system to the patented 3-hour bezel first introduced on the 2023 Gombessa limited edition, powered by the in-house Calibre 13P5A with 120-hourRead More

Introducing - The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech to Join the Permanent Collection

Blancpain expands the Fifty Fathoms collection and presents the new Fifty Fathoms Tech Ref. 5019A, a professional dive watch derived from the Fifty Fathoms Tech Gombessa unveiled in 2023 and made specifically for closed-circuit rebreather divers and underwater explorers. The new version brings the same concept to a more universal watch, now featuring a date […]